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Lubricant formulators struggle

with significant challenges to -

day. The needs of the market-

place are evolving — driven, in large

part, by increasingly stringent Original

Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) re -

quire ments, governmental regulations

and global energy conservation initia-

tives. As a result of these changes, to -

day’s automotive and industrial lubri-

cants must offer unprecedented per-

formance capabilities.

They must satisfy the growing de -

mands for energy efficiency, fuel econ-

omy and minimized emissions. They

also must provide more robust protec-

tion to extend machine life and run-

time under ever more severe operating

conditions, as OEMs continue to cre-

ate equipment with smaller sumps and

with higher output and energy density.

Despite handling higher tempera-

tures and more extreme conditions,

lubricants are now expected to last

longer. Industrial and commercial cus-

tomers want longer drain intervals to

help them boost productivity while

minimizing waste and the costs of

maintenance and product replace-

ment. Many of today’s lubricants also

need to meet evolving global regula-

tions for food contact.

A vital solutionTo overcome these challenges, formu-

lators must innovate. And to support

their innovation, they need advanced,

technical solutions. They need base

stocks that can contribute both blend-

ing flexibility and high-performance

capabilities. That’s why ExxonMobil

Chemical has introduced a new high-

viscosity product to their renowned

portfolio of synthetic base stocks —

SpectraSyn Elite™ 300 metallocene

polyalphaolefin (mPAO).

As the industry’s only 300 cSt

mPAO base stock, SpectraSyn Elite

300 augments the formulators’ tool-

A new high-viscosity solutionfor today’s challengesBy Michael P. Sheehan, Marketing Technical Services, ExxonMobil Chemical Company

ExxonMobil Chemical

box by providing a new high-viscosity

base stock for formulating industrial

and automotive lubricants, as well as

greases. Laboratory tests show

SpectraSyn EliteTM 300 mPAO can help

enable formulators to develop prod-

ucts that capitalize on the enhanced

properties of mPAO while offering

lower treat rates and better viscosmet-

ric properties than alternative high-

viscosity base stocks.

Because of its impressive versatili-

ty, SpectraSyn Elite 300 also gives for-

mulators the ability to blend the com-

plete spectrum of ISO VG grades of

industrial oils with a single base stock.

This versatility simplifies the process

— as well as base stock product inven-

tory — while allowing formulators the

flexibility to create the innovative

prod ucts that are essential for their

customers today.

High-performancecharacteristicsCompared to other high-viscosity base

stocks, SpectraSyn Elite 300 delivers

outstanding characteristics, to help

formulators achieve necessary levels

of performance. It offers enhanced film

thickness that enables wear protec-

tion, which can provide improved

durability in industrial and automotive

applications.

The excellent low-temperature flu-

idity of SpectraSyn Elite 300, coupled

with its high viscosity index (VI), can

help deliver wear protection during

cold-weather start-ups. It can also

broad en the operating range by pro-

viding enhanced film thickness at

higher temperatures, which may con-

tribute to equipment efficiency, relia-

bility and service life.

Additionally, the good shear stabil-

ity of SpectraSyn Elite 300 helps fin-

ished lubricants stay in grade longer,

maintaining crucial protection even

under severe conditions. This can help

keep equipment running longer.

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Formulation advantages

SpectraSyn Elite™ 300 mPAO achieved

the lowest pour points (ASTM 5950),

when compared with other high-vis-

cosity base stocks. (Figure 1). Thus,

SpectraSyn Elite 300 is a new solution

as today’s equipment builders seek

lubricants with excellent low-tempera-

ture properties that can contribute to

improved energy efficiency. Because

today’s equipment builders seek lubri-

cants with good low-temperature

properties that allow for energy effi-

ciency, the pour-point results show

how SpectraSyn Elite 300 can help fill

a critical need.

Base stocks that can deliver excel-

lent shear stability can be very useful

to formulators, who want their finished

lubricants to maintain viscosity and

stay in grade for longer service life.

ExxonMobil Chemical used the Taper

Roller Bearing test (CEC-L-45-A-99) at

20 and 100 hours to measure this

capability in SpectraSyn Elite 300 and

found that, along with SpectraSyn

EliteTM 150, SpectraSyn Elite 300 per-

formed better than other high-viscosi-

ty base stocks tested, especially when

the test was extended from 20 to 100

hours (Figure 2).

SpectraSyn Elite 300 demonstrated

enhanced performance in EHL film

thickness testing at 80 and 120 de grees

Celsius, SpectraSyn Elite 300 demon-

strated step-out performance, far sur-

passing the other high-viscosity base

stocks tested (Figure 3). Formulators

seeking to blend lubricants that sup-

ply wear protection under extreme

conditions can benefit from the film

thickness properties of SpectraSyn

Elite 300.

Application versatility

The high VI of SpectraSyn Elite 300

translates into formulated lubricants.

As the base stock is formulated into

ISO VG industrial gear oils, the result-

ing viscosity index surpassed other

high-viscosity base stocks tested

(Figure 4). High VI can help enhance

ExxonMobil Chemical (continued)

energy efficiency, equipment reliability

and life, lubricant durability and pro-

tection at high and low temperatures

— critical capabilities in today’s mar-

ketplace, especially for industrial

lubricants.

Additionally, SpectraSyn Elite™ 300

mPAO has demonstrated that its

excellent low-temperature perform-

ance provides improved pumpability,

while resisting water washout in

industrial grease formulations. It dis-

played superior water washout per-

formance (ASTM D12) versus low

molecular weight PIBs in ISO VG 100

and 460 greases, retaining its ability to

protect even in aqueous environments

(Figure 5).

The extreme conditions of many

industrial applications challenge the

limits of lubrication — more now than

ever before. That’s why equipment

builders and plant operators demand

durability and high performance.

SpectraSyn Elite 300 helps formula-

tors meet these challenges.

For formulating automotive lubri-

cants, SpectraSyn Elite 300 also can be

a valuable blending option for formu-

lators as a high-viscosity component

in 5W-30 and 0W-20 SAE grade formu-

lations. In ASTM D5293 (CCS @ -30°C)

and ASTM D4683 (HTHS @ 150°C) vis-

cosity tests, SpectraSyn Elite 300 post-

ed the highest HTHS (high tempera-

ture high shear) and the lowest CCS

(cold-cranking simulator) of synthetic

base stocks tested, while furnishing

the lowest treat rate (Figure 6). These

tests demonstrate the new product’s

capabilities at both high and low tem-

peratures, as well as its stability under

high-stress conditions.

Enabling innovation

SpectraSyn Elite 300 offers formula-

tors a new, high-viscosity, high-per-

formance base stock to help meet

many of today’s challenging require-

ments. It provides formulators with

blending flexibility to develop innova-

tive lubricants, while reducing the

need for costly additives. Through

unsurpassed high-viscosity capabili-

ties, SpectraSyn Elite 300 enables the

innovation necessary for formulators

to satisfy the requirements of equip-

ment builders and the needs of their

customers.

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© 2016 Exxon Mobil Corporation. All rights reserved.All trademarks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries unless otherwise noted.

Source of test results/product information: ExxonMobil data